


Beating The Boss

by The_Sad_Hatter



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Humor, Multi, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Smut, marvel AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:21:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24280474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Sad_Hatter/pseuds/The_Sad_Hatter
Summary: Nobody could tame Loki Odinson, no matter how hard they tried. Over a dozen assistants had attempted, and all had come running back to The Potts Agency in tears. In a last ditch attempt the tame the beastly boss, Pepper sends in a wildcard: The assistant with the attitude problem. You.You’ve got issues of your own, zero impulse control, and absolutely no fear. Maybe that’s exactly what Loki needs, or at least his brother is willing to give it a shot. Suddenly you go from clearing out your desk, to being given free reign and immunity with one of the most powerful and prickly men in the city.Your challenge is to bring Loki to task, by any means necessary. His challenge is to break you, and make you quit.Let the games begin.
Relationships: Loki/Reader
Comments: 112
Kudos: 353





	1. Last Chance Saloon

It didn’t matter how neutral you were keeping your expression, eyes fixed straight ahead and head held high, the vibe you were giving off was a dead giveaway of the truth. The elevator was packed, but everyone in it had damn near flattened themselves against the walls to give you space, creating a bubble around you. As soon as the doors whooshed open to reveal the pristine lobby of the Pott’s Agency, you stormed out. Your heels clacked against the white marble floor, creating a satisfying clip-clop noise, a noise you would miss. You really only wore the heels for that sound.

So focused on your walk, and making it to the doors, you nearly barged into someone, swearing under your breath as you screeched to a halt just in time.

“Sorry.” You mumbled, not paying much attention to who you had nearly ran over.

Until their voice made you look up from the ground, alertly.

“That’s quite alright.” Pepper Pott’s assured you, kindly.

“Uh… Hi. Sorry again.” You winced, biting your lip.

She looked you up and down, noting the rim-rod straightness in your spine, and the far-away look in your eyes.

“What’s wrong?” She asked sharply, no preamble.

She wasn’t one for beating around the bush, she was too busy for that. Pepper Potts ran the most successful Boutique agency in the city, arranged and pulled off a staggering number of charity fundraisers, maintained a happy marriage, and she was a mother to boot. It was a lot to juggle, even for someone as formidable as her. So you didn’t take her no nonsense attitude to heart.

“Mz Romanoff just let me go.” You shrugged.

“What happened?” She sighed.

“Take a guess?” You evaded, with a wry grin.

“Your last assignment was with Hammer, wasn’t it?” She mused, thinking it over, before she groaned. “Is he still in one piece, at least?”

“I didn’t physically hurt him!” You objected. “Though, it was kinda close.” You admitted.

“What happened?” She pressed.

“He got a little handsy, and I didn’t take it well.”

“How handsy?” She demanded, though there was a gentleness to it.

“Nothing like that, he just kept grabbing at my shoulder and squeezing it, even after I asked him to stop. I asked politely, like really politely, twice!”

“And the third time?”

“I pulled away and threw his coffee cup at him. He ducked.” You pouted, disappointed.

“I can’t say I fully disapprove of your actions, autonomy is important, and I never want any of my employee’s to feel like they can’t stand up for themselves.” She started…

  
“I know that, you’re a good boss Mrs Potts, and I know I put the agency in a difficult position.” You interrupted.

“I would gladly cut ties with Hammer for his behaviour, he’s crossed a line. But… this isn’t the first incident.” She said apologetically.

“I know.” You groaned.

You weren’t being fired for putting Hammer in his place, you knew that. You’d been given one too many warnings about your temper, and you’d left Romanoff no choice.

“I can be polite, and well-behaved, if who I’m working for is as well. Just because they’re higher up the food chain than I am, doesn’t give them the right to treat me like a lapdog.” You huffed.

“I agree, completely, but there’s a right and a wrong way to handle things.” Pepper reminded you.

“And pushing a billionaire into a swimming pool for calling me ‘toots’, is the wrong way to handle it.” You snorted.

“You have a short fuse, and that isn’t a good thing in this line of work. If you were a little more patient, then you’d be really good at this. You’re as smart as a whip, and good at thinking on your feet, you just need to lean a little more on the proper channels instead of taking matters into your own hands. We gave you as many chances as we could, we really did.” Pepper said regretfully.

“I know that, I do. I’m not mad. I brought this on myself.” You sighed.

You had made your own bed, now you had to lie in it, and hope you found a way to keep a roof over it. You weren’t exactly brimming with prospects, and this job had been the best one you’d ever had in terms of a paycheck and insurance. Now, well, you’d have to hope you could make it as a bartender or a barista, something that paid enough to keep you alive and no more.

“No hard feelings.” You sighed, breaking free of your internal musings and holding out your hand to her.

“None at all.” She said sadly, taking your hand in hers and using it to pull you forward into a friendly hug.

When she pulled back, she looked at you appraisingly, wheels turning in her head.

“What?” You asked nervously, taking a step backwards, getting ready to run away.

“We just lost another assistant to the Odinson job. That’s twelve assistant’s, seven of whom have quit the agency altogether. If I keep losing my employee’s at that rate, it’s going to be difficult days ahead for the business. I’m weighing up the risk vs reward of giving you a last chance.”

“I need this job, badly, but even I know sending me is a terrible idea. Do you know how many people I’ve seen crying in the breakroom over that guy? Even Graham, and he was a marine!” You grimaced.

The Odinson job… It was infamous. Over the past month, Loki Odinson had gone through twelve of the agency’s best Personal Assistants, and he’d broken every single one of them. Nobody could withstand the brutal charms of the bastard prince of New York. The longest anyone had lasted was three days, and that had been Graham, The gentle giant. 6ft 4 of pure muscle, the softest smile ever seen, and the purest, strongest soul. He’d cried for two hours straight, leaving a trail of tears and snot on the shoulder of your favourite shirt.

“Precisely. Everyone I send to him, he breaks. Maybe it’s time I send someone to break _him_.” She decided, her shoulders straightening, eye’s dancing with an almost evil glee.

“Sorry, you _want_ me to break him?” You scoffed.

“Yes. You’re already fired, so there’s nothing to lose in that regard. He’s more trouble than he’s worth, even if he is an Odinson, so if this doesn’t work, I can just cut my losses. Are you interested?”

It was cold, but that was business. You really had nothing left to lose. Worst case scenario: you had some extra time to look for a new job. Best case scenario: You got to push the bastard who’d made Graham cry, into a pool.

You felt the corners of your lips curl up of their own accord, and the fire in your eyes that usually had Mrs Pott’s sighing in resignation, had her grinning back at you.

“Oh hell yes, let me at him.” You purred.

“Perfect. I’m on my way to see Thor now, we can take the town car.” She said briskly, back to business.

You followed her across the lobby, her heels setting the tempo that yours echoed. You pulled out your phone, informing Mz Romanoff of the new development before Pepper asked.

**You: _Put a hold on that termination paperwork, Mrs Potts has one last assignment for me. Is that ok?_**

The response came through almost as soon as you’d sent it.

**Natasha Romanoff: _Obviously._ **

You narrowed your eyes at the phone as you walked. What the heck did ‘Obviously’ mean?

“Did anybody recommend me for this assignment, at any point?” You asked Pepper as she held the door open for you.

“Romanoff mentioned it a while back, but nobody else thought it was a wise idea. You can understand why?” She asked apologetically.

Interesting. You had a sneaky little suspicion that Romanoff had timed your firing perfectly. God, you wanted to be her when you grew up.

“Because this is like throwing gasoline on a fire?” You answered Pepper, following her over to the car that was waiting.

“That’s exactly what it is, but putting the fire out isn’t working, so I’m just desperate enough to try a new approach.”

You slid into the car after her, though with far less grace.

“The Odinson Office’s, please, Happy.” She directed the driver, before turning to you.

“So, are you sure you can handle the heat?” She checked, a serious weight behind the joke.

She would never send an assistant into a job they didn’t feel comfortable with. That was part of why the Odinson assignment was proving such a headache for her. After the first couple of assistants, employee’s had been chomping at the bit to take it on, seeing it as a career making challenge. After assistant number four had stormed into Pepper’s office, tears pouring down her face, it became trickier. Nobody wanted to be sent over to The Odinson’s, you were probably the last one left in the Agency who would even consider it.

As the car pulled away, slipping seamlessly into the New York traffic, you settled back against the seat, shrugging lithely. It’s not like you had much of a choice, it was this or ramen noodles and unemployment.

“Burn, baby, burn.”


	2. A Little Vanilla

You had seen Thor Odinson before, but never in person. He often graced the covers of magazine’s that you didn’t read, and you had always idly assumed that all his golden haired, rippling muscled perfection was airbrushed.

It wasn’t.

“Hot damn, _that’s_ a man.” You exclaimed under your breath as he strode out of his office, a warm smile directed at Pepper.

“Behave.” She warned quietly, without moving her lips.

“No promises.” You muttered as she stepped forward to greet him.

His voice boomed across the open office space, and you jumped slightly as he pulled her into a friendly hug.

“And who is this?” He asked, glancing at you quizzically, though not coldly.

She introduced you, nodding in approval when you held your hand out with a professional smile.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr Odinson.” You greeted brightly, with only the slightest emphasis on the word pleasure.

It still didn’t go unnoticed by Pepper though, who shot you a exasperated look behind Thor’s back.

“And do you work with Pepper?” He pressed, enveloping your hand in his and shaking carefully.

“I do, and hopefully, with you.” You grinned.

He looked over his shoulder at her, visibly confused.

“Perhaps we should continue this conversation in my office.” He suggested, waving you both towards the regal oak doors he’d stepped out of.

You followed along after them, marvelling at the décor. It looked more like a palace than a corporate office, with the gilded ceilings and glittering gold accents.

“Can we get you anything to drink?” He asked as he walked past his assistant.

You glanced curiously at the bubbly brunette, who was looking back at you, just as intrigued.

“A green tea for me, if you wouldn’t mind, please Darcy.” Pepper requested politely.

“You got it Potts. What about you, newbie?” ‘Darcy’ grinned, eyeing you again.

“Coffee please. However you want to make it.” You shrugged.

You didn’t mind it any way, black, creamy, sweet, it was still coffee, and there was no such thing as undrinkable coffee.

“Oooh, fun. You can test out the new vanilla creamer for me.” She chirped, standing up and stepping out from behind the desk.

You unconsciously checked her out, your eye immediately drawn to her killer curves. You caught yourself, and sent her a sheepishly apologetic grin when you realised she was looking at you in a way that let you know she knew exactly what you’d been doing. Her lips quirked in an amused grin, and you breathed a sigh of relief.

Pepper coughed lightly, and you whirled around to find her standing impatiently in the open doorway of Thor’s office.

“Better hustle, newbie.” Darcy sniggered, sashaying away as you quickly followed Pepper into the office.

Thor was already sat at his desk, leaning back in the chair like he owned the place, because… well, he did. Pepper elegantly perched herself on one of the plush leather chairs in front of the desk, and you followed suit, minus the elegant part. You threw yourself bodily into the chair, and tried to figure out what to do with your legs.

“I was under the impression you had run out of assistants to send me, and were coming here to negotiate the dissolution of our contract?” Thor began, watching you out of the corner of his eyes as you crossed your legs, unfolded them, and tried crossing them the other way.

“I’ve sent you our top-rated assistants, but I would like to try one more.” She sighed, ignoring your uncomfortable wriggling around.

“I’m not top-rated.” You blurted, giving up on trying to look composed or suave, and hooking your right leg over the arm of the chair, letting it dangle over the side.

Your muscles untensed as you leaned back in the seat. You could see Pepper’s hands twitch, resisting the urge to rearrange you into a more appropriate position, instead of treating the chair like a barstool.

“She’s a good assistant. You won’t find a more creative member of our team, she specialises in thinking outside the box and coming up with inventive solutions to difficult problems that nobody else would have thought of. She’s smart, fast on her feet, flexible….”

“And the catch?” Thor interrupted, looking pointedly at you.

Pepper drew in a deep breath, preparing herself to drop the truth bomb. She was granted a reprieve when Darcy bustled into the office, expertly balancing three steaming mugs in her hands. You shot to your feet and crossed the office in a few quick strides to grab two of the mugs off her, not because it looked like she was going to drop them, but because you knew first-hand how awkward carrying multiple cups of boiling liquid could be.

“Oh hey, you grabbed yours and Pepper’s.” Darcy announced, impressed.

You handed off the tea to Pepper, turning the mug so she could grab it by the handle.

“Thank you Darcy.” Thor said respectfully, accepting his mug gratefully.

“Let me know if there’s anything else. Like, a tour…” She hinted, eyes darting between you and Thor.

“Of the building?” You smirked.

“Or the best local watering holes, whatever.” She sniggered.

“That will be all, thank you Darcy.” Thor said pointedly, but the affection in his voice was easy to read.

Darcy mock saluted him and left, shooting you a wink on her way past, which you returned with another smile.

“Nice girl.” You complimented, taking your seat again, forgoing the pointless quest for a comfortable way of sitting professionally.

Thor hummed thoughtfully to himself, seemingly having forgotten about your ‘catch’ as he regarded you appraisingly.

“What do you know about my brother?” He finally asked.

“He’s an absolute dick.” You said, without hesitation, shrugging unapologetically. 

Pepper had said you didn’t have to hold back, and you were taking her at her word.

Thor choked a little on his coffee, eyebrows shooting up at your candour. You met his eyes calmly, raising one shoulder in a half-assed shrug, as if to say ‘Am I wrong though?’.

“You’re hired!” He exclaimed, still looking at you in disbelief.

“That was easy.” You snorted.

“It’s not like he has a lot of choice.” Pepper remarked casually, the very picture of calm and collected.

Internally, you were fist pumping the air and cracking open the champagne.

“Loki has been extremely trying recently, even more so than usual. I have tried everything I can think of to bring him back, but he has been stubborn. I don’t expect you’ll last much longer than any of the others.” He glanced at you apologetically, “But I feel like you could be just as infuriating for him, as he has been for everyone else.”

“So you really are agreeing to let me be myself? In all my unprofessional glory?” You checked.

This couldn’t be real.

“With Loki himself, yes. I still expect you to do your actual job, of course. But how you do that job? That’s entirely up to you. You work for Loki, but it is I, and this company, that sign the paychecks, so Loki can not fire you. That’s why he tries so hard to make his assistants quit.” He informed you, opening a desk drawer and digging around.

You leant sideways in your chair, peering out of the large glass windows into the reception to get Darcy’s attention. She was already looking, and she threw her head back and laughed when you held the cup up with one hand, and shot her a thumbs up with the other. The creamer you were guinea pigging for her was delicious, and you made a mental note to find out where she kept it.

Thor dropped a massive folder on the desk in front of you, making you jump.

“Aww, I didn’t get anything for you.” You sarked, pulling it towards you.

“You’ll find everything you need there, take the requisition forms down to the 16th floor and they’ll set you up with your tablet, phone, and keycards. All the passwords you’ll need are in the folder, and of course you’ll need to sign the NDA’s and menial forms, human resources is on the 2nd floor.”

This was really happening. He was serious. You looked between him and Pepper, chewing your bottom lip.

“You should be aware, she has her own track record. There have been a number of incidents.” Pepper sighed, reading the apprehension in your eyes.

“I’m listening.” Thor smiled, at ease with the situation.

“Smashed coffee cups, billionaires in swimming pools, a small fire, A CEO stranded in Mexico without her passport….” You elaborated with a self-satisfied grin.

Thor chuckled loudly, eyeing you with respect. You lit up, sitting up straighter in your chair. He wasn’t the stuffy boss you’d been expecting at all. When Pepper had said she was unleashing you and all your fury, you hadn’t actually believed her, not fully. But so far, no matter how far over the line you were edging, neither she nor Thor were pushing you back. You were so used to being reprimanded for your charming attitude, not encouraged, it was a little dizzying to meet someone who seemed excited by your attitude. You couldn’t help but preen a little, and it didn’t hurt that the man in question was so good looking that it almost hurt. He wasn’t your type, but that didn’t mean you were blind, or unaffected.

“In that case, I hope you’ll start today.” He chortled, and you briefly panicked that you’d spoken aloud, before you realised he was only responding to your last comment.

“It’s not like she has a lot of choice either.” Pepper remarked, settling back in her seat with a pleased expression.

Thor didn’t seem to mind that either. You were looking forward to torturing this Mr Loki, but for a brief second, you actually pitied him. Then again, Thor seemed kinda nice, if he was willing to throw propriety out of the window just to see his brother squirm, the dick probably deserved it. Memories of tear stained colleagues flashed across your mind. Yeah, the dick definitely deserved it.

“Speak of the devil.” Thor groaned.

Like you’d conjured him with your thoughts. You whirled around in your seat, craning your neck to look into the reception as the elevator doors opened.

You didn’t know what you’d been expecting, but it wasn’t a lanky streak of sex appeal, that was for sure. You couldn’t get a good look from your position, but you could see the way he wore a suit and that was enough to warm your blood. There was a raw power to him, it was clear from the way he strode across the floor like it was a freaking catwalk.

Was he walking in slow motion, or was that just in your head?

You saw Darcy look up and her lips moved as she greeted him, rolling her eyes when he didn’t even glance her way, just tossing a file in his hand in her general direction. He didn’t pause, or turn back, he probably didn’t even see the way it flew past her, papers flying everywhere. He just kept walking, throwing open the doors directly opposite Thor’s office, and slamming them behind him, hard enough you heard it boom from where you were.

“So, do you still want the position?” Thor asked nervously.

You turned back around to face him, and his eyes flickered down to the wicked smirk on your face. You stood up calmly, tucking the folder he’d given you under your arm.

“I’m sure you two have a lot to discuss, why don’t I leave you to it? Darcy can sort me out from here.” You offered, practically vibrating with anticipation.

Thor didn’t seem to know whether he should look afraid, or excited. Pepper looked almost relived. They exchanged a look you couldn’t quite read, and after a brief non-verbal conversation, Thor stood up and offered you his hand again.

“Welcome to Asgard Enterprises.”

“Oh trust me, this time it really is going to be my pleasure.” You said, accepting the handshake.

You threw one last grin at Pepper and left the office, gently closing the door behind you. Darcy was kneeling on the ground, letting off a string of curses under her breath as she gathered the papers. You dropped your folder on her desk and got down on the ground with her, gathering up the loose papers that had some kind of spreadsheets on them.

“So, you running for the hills yet?” She asked, assessing you with her gaze.

You nodded to the folder on her desk in response.

“No shit, you took the job?” She scoffed.

“I took the job.” You clarified, standing up as you shuffled the last of the papers into a neater pile.

“Are you insane, masochistic, or just desperate?” She asked.

“Is there a reason I can’t be all three?”

She let out a delighted laugh at your response, shaking her head in mock sympathy.

“My type of girl. Well, if the Dark Prince had stopped for a split second, I’d have been able to give him this, but I guess it’s your job now…” She shrugged, pulling another file out of her desk and handing it to you.

You accepted it eagerly, not even bothering to hide your excitement as you practically skipped over to your new boss’s office. Adrenaline coursed through your veins, and the butterflies in your stomach woke up hyperactively. Some people got their kicks from jumping out of planes, some went on blind dates. This was a weird mix of both.

You allowed yourself one deep breath, then you squared your shoulders and threw the door open and stepped through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I guess I'm cracking on with this one then? It's really fun building a foundation for the actual novel. I was really nervous about it, I really want this one to be enjoyed, more so than anything else I've written, for obvious reasons. I really appreciate the support I've been shown, but you guys have always been really good to me in that regard 💖💖💖
> 
> So we have our first glimpse of our main man, and reader has revealed herself to be a thirsty one, but who can blame her? 😂😂😂


	3. Unlucky Number 13

Loki’s office was almost a mirror of Thor’s, at least in structure. Thor’s office was warm and inviting, polished oak furniture and crimson walls, a perfect representation of the passionately warm man himself. Loki’s office was about 10 degrees colder than the rest of the floor, it was like walking into an igloo, and it wasn’t just the temperature that made it cold. It was sparsely decorated, thick green curtains covering every window, blocking every ray of light. There a single metal chair in front of his imposing desk, set so far back from the desk that anyone sitting in it would feel more like they were on trial than in a meeting with him.

You stepped onto the dark wooden floors, your heels echoing through the vast and empty space, Goosebumps erupting across your skin. They weren’t just from the cold.

He was bent over his desk, sleeves rolled up to expose lithe muscular forearms. His suit jacket was haphazardly flung across the plush leather chair on his side of the desk, and his tie was hanging loosely around his neck, the knot pulled almost loose. His hair flowed down his shoulders, covering his face like a shining dark curtain. At the first click of your heels on the floor of his office, he looked up, and you gripped the file in your hand, anticipation thrumming through your veins. And then he turned his head, looking right at you and you staggered to a halt.

You froze under his gaze, blinking across the room at him like a rabbit caught in the headlights.

You had steeled yourself against his handsomeness, but damn, you hadn’t been prepared for the fact that he wasn’t just hot, he was god damn beautiful. His hair shone like liquid obsidian under the glow of the lamps, his porcelain skin shining like polished marble, bright eyes piercing your very soul. In your head you had built up a picture of him, you had assigned an unflattering picture to him, a Severus Snape kind of looking fella, all greasy hair and sallow skin. That was not what you found looking back at you though, not in the slightest. He wasn’t someone who wore his evil character on the outside, he was more like the devil; disarmingly beautiful.

This, this was a problem. You were supposed to walk in here and show him you were the boss now, but your legendary nerve flickered dangerously close to being extinguished. His eyes were fixed on you, his gaze slowly dragging up your body, from heels to eyes. He took his time with it, and by the time his eyes finally met yours, you could taste your heartbeat.

He straightened his spine, drawing upon every impressive inch of his considerable height, and his lips contorted into a derisive sneer.

“Who the hell are you supposed to be?” He snarled.

Just like that, the spell broke. Your own lips twisted, drawing an absolutely wicked smirk on your face.

“I’m your new assistant. Darcy asked me to give you this.” You said, holding the folder up.

With a flick of your wrist, you sent it sailing through the air. Papers fluttered out of it, floating to the floor as it made it’s trajectory across the room, landing at his feet. He blinked at it, seemingly lost for words.

“I have a lot to take care of today, gotta get up to speed and all that, so if you need anything… well, you’re an adult, take care of it yourself.” You said sweetly, your words and your tone in direct juxtaposition with one another.

That seemed to snap him out of his confusion, and you found yourself pinned under his gaze once again. This time, you weren’t cowed by it.

“Oh really? You think you’re welcome here?” He chuckled, no trace of humour in it.

“Your brother seems to think so, and we both know he’s the important one around here.” You said smugly.

Something flashed behind his eyes, something even you knew was dangerous. He was halfway across the room before you even realised he’d moved, and it took every ounce of bravery you had not to take a step backwards. You held your ground, letting him stomp through your personal bubble of space until he was right in your face. You couldn’t decide if the fact his aftershave smelled divine made him more intimidating, or less.

“I neither know, nor care who you are. Of all the useless excuses for an assistant they have sent me, you are the most ridiculous. How stupid must you be to think you can waltz in here and make a mess?” He snapped.

You cocked your head to the side, looking past him to the papers strewn across the floor.

“Oh, is that _not_ how we deliver stuff around here? I was just following your example.” You shrugged.

“What?” He spat out, bafflement written across his unfortunately handsome features.

You nodded your head towards the door, letting him figure it out for himself.

It didn’t take him long, and the confusion in his eyes was quickly chased away and replaced with a satisfyingly potent irritation.

“Get out. You do not, nor will you ever, work here.” He hissed.

“Hmm, that’s not how this works and you know it. You can’t fire me, only Thor can. But if you wanna crawl into his office and beg him to save you from the big scary assistant, be my guest. I’m sure he’ll happily come to your rescue.” You taunted.

He’d never do it. You’d known him for less than five minutes, but you knew he had too much pride for it. He’d shown that when your little comment about Thor’s importance had gotten under his skin so much. Even if he was willing to try, he wouldn’t get what he wanted. Thor wasn’t going to fire you easily, you’d probably have to actually smash Loki over the head with a shovel before Thor considered letting you go.

He took a step back and looked you up and down again, reassessing you. The corners of his lips twitched, like he was trying to smile but his face didn’t remember how to do it.

“I stand corrected. Not ridiculous, conniving. How interesting.” He murmured, like he was talking more to himself than you.

“Why Mr Odinson, I do believe that’s what passes for a compliment from you.” You said, batting your eyelashes at him.

“Loki. You never call me Odinson, ever.” He said coldly.

There was a sharp edge to the order, it had more bite to it than anything else he had said to you. A shiver trickled down your spine, and you nodded in agreement without thinking about it. That was a line not to be crossed, and you didn’t know why but you knew it wasn’t something to press.

“Loki.” You repeated, dragging the letters out, letting the name roll around on your tongue.

You held your hand out to him.

“Like it or not, Loki, I’m your assistant now. My name is…”

“Three days.” He interrupted, sneering at your hand with a disgusted expression.

You raised your eyebrows questioningly. 

“It’s the longest any of your predecessors lasted. If you can beat that, I’ll bother to learn your name. Perhaps.” He elaborated.

“You’ll break long before I do.” You teased.

“Is that so?”

“It is. You should pick them up, I think they’re important.” You smirked, gesturing to the papers.

“That’s your job.” He snapped, offended by the suggestion.

“I’m not here to clean up your messes. You’re a big boy, you can do it yourself.”

“I’m not the one who threw them!” He insisted, staring you down darkly.

His arm trembled, and you glanced down to see him flexing his long fingers, like he was physically restraining himself from wrapping them around your throat.

That was fine, the more he spoke, the more you had to stop yourself slapping him across that gorgeous face. So at least the inappropriate violent desire was mutual.

You looked back at him coolly.

“Am I? I don’t remember doing that.” You shrugged, spinning around and sauntering back across the room towards the door.

“You will change your shoes, they make too much noise.” He snarled, following you.

“Will I?” You scoffed, reaching out to open the door.

It barley opened an inch before his open palm smacked into it, slamming it closed.

“Do you think you’re clever, or do you think you’re cute? Perhaps you think you’re both, but I assure you, you’re neither. You’re pathetic, acting so brave, all the while cowering behind my brother and thinking he will keep your job safe.” He growled, close enough that his breath moved your hair, strands tickling the back of your neck.

You turned around, letting him see on your face just how unimpressed you were. He had you almost caged in against the door, barely a half step away from you.

“I thought you’d be scarier than this. Can’t figure why you’ve got such a reputation, you’re actually quite tame.” You cooed, like he was an adorable puppy snapping at your heels.

That’s exactly what he was though, a puppy. He wasn’t the big bad wolf at all. You had been expecting someone far worse that a pompous ass who lurked in his office like a dramatic emo.

He narrowed his eyes, and a sinister smirk crept across his face.

“Oh, you are feisty. Breaking you will be entertaining at least, and I will break you, pet. That steel spine of yours will bend in the most delightfully painful ways before it snaps. You’ll leave this office the same way as all the others. In tears and cursing my name.” He said solemnly, making it a promise.

You breathed in deeply and took that last half step forward until you were the one in his face. He didn’t back away from you either, watching you curiously as you reached out to adjust his crooked tie. You loosed the knot, readjusting it so it was lined up perfectly.

“I don’t bend, and I certainly don’t break. You’ll find that I’m actually quite flexible.” You whispered, pulling the knot uncomfortably tightly, grinning when he didn’t flinch.

You smoothed the tie down, only just managing to reign in your surprise at how hard his chest felt under the material. Thin and lanky he may be, but he was packing just as much power in his muscles as his brother, he was just more subtle about it. He had a swimmers body, or a dancers. Just as strong, of not more so, than a bodybuilder like Thor, and far more dangerous.

You let go and admired your handiwork with a pleased expression. There was so much darkness in his gaze, so much rage and loathing, but you could swear that something else briefly flickered behind the hate. Intrigue, perhaps?

“You’re the thirteenth, such an unlucky number. For you. I promise you, I _will_ find your breaking point.” He swore.

“Why?”

“Pardon?” He asked, cocking his head.

“Why? You do actually need a PA, you’re helping to run a billion dollar worldwide company. You need to assistance, so why do you try to push them away?”

“You think I try?” He chuckled. “I have never deliberately tried to break any of my assistants spirit’s, they were simply too weak. But none of them managed to anger me as much, or as quickly, as you.”

Alright, now you were a little worried. If he was an accidental bastard up until now, how bad would it be when he put the effort it? Mayhaps, you had been a little cocky. On the other hand…

“Oh, this is going to be fun.” You laughed, the butterflies in your stomach swirling around excitedly.

Still, it would be prudent to start your job search now, before this ended. And it would end, badly, you could see it in his eyes. He was serious, and so were you.

“Enjoy it while it lasts, pet. You’re going to be crying before the weeks end.” He said, removing his hand from the door and raising it to your face.

He stopped shy of actually touching you, his skin a hairsbreadth from yours as he traced his fingers across your cheek.

“I’m not afraid of you.” You said softly.

He paused in his ministrations, fingers hovering just beside your lips.

“You will be.”

“We’ll see who’s afraid of who.” You challenged.

“This is a game to you?” He sighed, clenching his jaw tightly and taking his hand back.

You kind of missed the almost touch. You smoothly reached behind yourself and pulled the door open, stepping backwards through it.

“Damn right it’s a game, and I’m playing to win… _Loki_.”

Before he could say anything else, you pulled the door closed, slamming it in his face.

Darcy jumped up from her desk, your folder clutched tightly in her hands. She held it out to you hopefully as you approached.

“You still need this?” She asked.

You smiled, a genuine smile for a change, and plucked it from her grasp.

“I still need it.”

She matched your smile with one of her own, eyes lighting up excitedly.

“I knew you were made of stronger stuff. I could tell the second I saw you, you’re going to rain all over the Dark Prince’s parade!” She laughed delightedly, linking her arm through yours and leading you to the elevator.

“Dark Prince my ass, that guy’s a princess.” You scoffed as you both stepped inside the lift together. 

She guffawed loudly, taken by surprise and awe.

The last thing you saw before the elevator doors whooshed closed, was Loki, standing at his office door. His eyes were narrowed, fixed on you, brimming with anger and hatred, but it was the smirk on his face that made the hair on the back of your neck stand up.

“A pretty princess.” You muttered, too quiet for Darcy to hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you feel the sexual tension already? Oooft, I could feel it while I was writing it, so I hope it transferred over. 
> 
> I know I wrote it, but even I'm struggling to tell what's going on inside Loki's head here.


	4. Bend and Snap

Getting under people’s skin was by far, your number one skill, but that didn’t mean you didn’t have others. Darcy helped you get set up with your tech and paperwork, and less than an hour later you had settled in at your desk by Loki’s office door. You quickly, but carefully scanned through the contracts and signed them, and sent them back down to human resources with an intern. You leant back in your chair, kicking your heels onto the desk and clicked away at your new work phone. It was saddled with information, including your first task. Loki’s schedule.

Okay, that was your second task. First one was making good use of the company credit card you’d been presented with. You’d had a very stressful morning, retail therapy was a necessity, nay, a right. Didn’t matter that you weren’t shopping for yourself, it was still fun. Opening several tabs on your browser, you browsed for the items you needed, gleefully ordering them from ‘Price: High to Low’, and after carefully scouring reviews, checked out your basket, making sure to add expedited delivery.

After spending more money than you earned in a year, you felt better, and turned your attention to the task of setting up his calendar. The thing was a mess, conflicting information from a dozen assistants, each with their own system. It was unsalvageable, so you sighed and cleared the whole thing, deciding it would be easier to start from scratch. You turned the computer monitor on and got to work, digging through Thor’s schedule to find out what meetings Loki had to sit on, sifting through emails to find out his personal appointments, and which Gala’s and fundraisers he had to show his pretty face at. You might struggle to run your own life, but you had a knack for running other people’s lives. Running, or ruining. 

His professional calendar was set up in record time, but as his assistant you were expected to tend to his whole life, not just his professional one. You could ask him directly, but you didn’t think he would be very forthcoming, and he didn’t seem like the sharing type, so Darcy wasn’t an option.

“Hey Darce, is your Boss free?” You called across the vast space, your voice barely reaching her even though you’d shouted.

She held up a finger in your direction and pressed a button on her desk, before she waved you towards Thor’s door.

You gave an obligatory knock and waited for him to call you in before you swung the door open and sauntered inside.

“Is Loki seeing anyone?” You asked, point blank.

His jaw nearly slammed down onto his desk, it dropped that far.

“I thought you were coming to tell me you were quitting! This is quite an unexpected development. I should warn you that we have a no fraternizing policy for all employee’s, but…”

“You might wanna back that truck the fuck up there.” You sniggered, interrupting him. “I’m asking because scheduling dates, remembering anniversaries, or sending flowers, is part of my duties.”

That deflated him, quite a lot. He almost looked… disappointed?

“Oh. I see. Loki is unattached, in every sense of the word.” He sighed.

“What about a therapist, he seeing one of those?” You pressed.

Thor snorted and shook his head, which was about the reaction you were expecting.

“Yeah, thought not. I’ll screen a few options and set him up with an appointment.” You shrugged.

“You want to send my brother to therapy?” Thor asked, disbelief clouding his tone.

“You don’t think he could use one?” You asked, looking sharply at him.

“What I think is irrelevant. Even if you could convince him to see one, you’d be hard pressed to find one who could handle him.” He pointed out. 

“Fair. Maybe Hannibal Lecter?” You quipped.

“You still seem in high spirits. Have you introduced yourself yet?” He asked suspiciously, looking you over for any obvious signs of trauma.

“Yeah, we got on like a house on fire.” You grinned, baring your teeth.

“Really?” He asked, almost hopefully.

You hated to burst his bubble, he was gazing up at you so pleadingly.

“Well… we’re both alive, nobody bled. I’d call that a success.” You offered.

“What was your impression of my brother?” He asked, genuinely curious.

Your first impression of Loki Odinson was that he was too pretty for his own damn good, and that he desperately needed to be taken down a peg, or 20. But there was something else there as well, a shroud of darkness that, while not unexpected, had you itching to unravel it. That flash of something deeply painful in his eyes when he told you never to call him Odinson, his claims that he was purposefully cruel, they were pieces of his puzzle that you didn’t know how to fit in yet.

“Well, I brought up Therapy for a reason. It wasn’t to throw shade, I wouldn’t joke about something like that. Nobody that bent out of shape _wouldn’t_ benefit from some professional help. ” You sighed, slinging yourself into the nearest chair.

Thor seemed to almost shrink slightly, leaning back in his chair while he mulled it over, trying to think of a response.

“You are welcome to try, but I don’t think you will succeed.” He finally said.

“Challenge accepted.” You grinned, leaping back up and rubbing your hands together like a egomaniacal villain for dramatic effect. “Getting people to do stuff they don’t want to do is a special skill of mine.”

“Dare I ask, how?” He enquired nervously.

The evil glint in your eyes, paired with the saccharine sweet smile on your lips, didn’t ease his nerves any.

“Simple. You want to make someone do something they don’t want to do? You make them want to stop _you_ from doing something you _do_ want to do.”

Thor blinked at you, once, twice, three times in rapid succession.

“You’re going to annoy Loki into getting help?” He pressed, the beginnings of a conspiratorial smirk on his face.

“Damn right I am. Thanks for the chat, Bossman.” You winked, sashaying out of his office before he could respond, your spirits high.

“What ya doing Friday night?” You asked Darcy, planting your palms on her desk and leaning across it, barely concealing your excitement.

She glanced up at you, eyes glittering behind her glasses.

“I’m guessing you’re about to tell me what I’m doing.” She smirked.

“You, me, Brooklyn. There’s a bar I know of, some people you might like, and an open tab in my name.”

“Yes! Yes, a thousand times yes!” She cheered, raising her fist to bump her knuckles against yours.

“Steady on love, it’s not a marriage proposal.” You sniggered as you walked off, your snigger turning into a full throated laugh when something soft smacked you in the back off the head.

You looked over your shoulder to see a crumpled up post it note on the ground, and Darcy studiously ignoring you.

“What is it with paper ending up on the floor in this office.” You muttered, picking it up and dropping it in the wastepaper basked by your desk as you passed by.

You didn’t even bother with knocking on Loki’s door, you just threw the door open and strode in like you owned the place. He didn’t seem to give a damn, until your heels hit the floor and sent a clacking echo through the ridiculously vast space.

“Take. Those. Off.” He snarled, massaging his temples.

“Nope.” You scoffed, popping the P and shortening your stride so it took you longer to reach his desk.

“I could make you.” He threatened.

“How?” You asked coolly, raising your eyebrow challengingly.

“Do not test me.” He warned, glaring at the offending footwear.

“Why? Concerned you’ll fail?” You pressed as you finally reached the desk, the clipping echo of your heels on marble fading away.

He lifted his eyes, slowly sweeping his gaze up your body until your eyes met. For someone who had just blatantly checked you out, the heat in his eyes wasn’t the kind you’d been expecting. It was all poorly contained rage, and a spark of… amusement? Intrigue? 

You leant forward and twisted his computer screen towards yourself, snatching his keyboard and mouse away. It took you a few seconds to bring his newly revamped calendar up, and as you turned the computer screen back to him so he could see it, you noticed the expression on his face. He was staring at you like you’d just grown a second head, but he didn’t seem pissed, for a change. His eyes flicked to the screen, and then back to you as he quickly deemed it’s contents unworthy of his attention.

“So, you’re not entirely incompetent. What do you want, a pat on the back, a cookie?” He asked dryly.

“Do you _have_ any cookies?” You asked, bending your arm and propping your chin up on your fist. 

“As a matter of fact, I baked a batch this morning.” He told you.

You grinned at the mental image of Loki wearing a frilly apron and oven mitts.

“Wait, really?” You gasped.

He didn’t even bother to respond to the stupid question, just levelled you with another skin searing glare.

“So you have a meeting with a potential client from Knight Industries tomorrow morning. Anything you need me to do?” You sighed, rolling your eyes at him.

“No, Knight Industries have been dancing around us for years now, they never come over. The meeting’s only been given to me because we’re not trying to court them anymore.” He spat.

“Makes sense.” You shrugged.

“What is that supposed to mean?” He asked, narrowing his eyes at you.

“You’re not exactly charming. I wouldn’t send you in to seal a deal, unless it was a deal with the devil.” You snorted. “You’re more a behind the scene’s kind of guy, unless the company is trying to purposefully alienate a dead end. Hey, at least your horrid personality comes in useful for something.”

If there was ever an appropriate situation for the phrase ‘playing with fire’, then this was it. You hadn’t so much poked the bear, as rolled up to it’s cave in hibernation season and started lobbing branches at it.

“Get out.” He snarled as he slammed his fist down on the desk and stood up slowly, leaving you in what could be considered a precarious position.

With you leant across the wooded desk as you were, and him standing on the other side, you were at eye-level with his crotch. This was the part where you were supposed to move away, but that’s what he expected of you. What he couldn’t have expected was you to tilt your head to the side slightly so you could peer up at him, and shoot him a small glare.

“Am I supposed to be intimidated, or impressed? Cause I’m neither.” You asked.

That was a bald faced lie. You were both, and annoyingly, you were more than a little hot under the collar as well. Traitorous little brain, all it took was one whiff of narcissism paired with a pretty face, and out the window went what little common sense you possessed.

If you didn’t know better, you’d say his jaw actually dropped at your brazenness. Not that he could really say shit about it, he’d started it. If you were in a compromising position right now, it was because he’d put you in one. And he seemed to realise that, because he stepped back with an almost sheepish expression.

He might be a Grade A dick, but he still had some sense of propriety. Why that made you soften slightly, you had no idea. Was your bar really so low that you liked him more because he wasn’t a creep? 

Apparently. Still, it was mollifying to see there was a shred of humanity somewhere in him. And you weren’t at all disappointed that he had backed down, no siree.

“I said, get out.” He reiterated, crossing his arms across his chest.

You pushed up from the desk and gave him an appraising look.

“Wait.” You scoffed, putting your hand up. “Are you actually offended because I said you’re not charming? Loki, you are fully aware of the fact that you are an asshole, why are you acting like this is shocking new information?” You asked, not even trying to mask your amusement.

“OUT!” He roared.

“As you wish.” You smirked, backing away slowly, without breaking eye contact with him.

Oh he was definitely angry, furious even, but it was the least terrifying he had been. All that smouldering anger directed at you, and you responded by jauntily waving farewell at him, and damn near skipping out of the office.

“Change the shoes.” He barked autocratically, to which you just swung the door closed with a satisfying click.

There was a brief moment of silence from inside the office, and then an ear-splitting crash. Darcy looked up, not remotely surprised by the sound of Loki demolishing stuff, just resigned. You bit your lip as your shoulder shook with silent laughter and made your way over to her.

“what can you tell me about the Knight Industries Account?” You asked her, rolling your eyes and making a mental note to have a new computer monitor sent to Loki’s office.

“Dead end. They come sniffing around every so often, but never put out. They’re significantly successful enough that we can’t tell them to stop bothering us, so Thor decided to let Loki handle it. I’ll email you their info.” She shrugged dismissively.

“Hey Darce?” You mused, chewing your lip.

She looked at you suspiciously, her interest piqued by the conspiratorial look on your face.

“What?” She prodded.

“Bet you ten bucks that Loki gets Knight Industries to sign on the dotted line tomorrow morning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I’m sorry I’ve taken a while to get this out, but I really hope you’re all still enjoying it and that you liked this chapter. 
> 
> No hard feelings if not, I promise.

**Author's Note:**

> I’m starting this series partially because I am really feeling Loki, partially because I really wanna try this trope, but mostly because I really want to write something that I can rework and publish one day. Don’t worry, this is still a reader insert, no named reader or anything. 
> 
> But that does mean it’ll be a full novel length fic, and I have it pretty meticulously planned. All that kinda remains, is to see how it is liked (or not liked)


End file.
